The new term is fast approaching and aside from the standard supplies list of food, stationery and the like, there are a few gadgets “essential” to student living. Considering you are probably using an iPhone or some form of tablet to read this blog post this goes without saying.

It would have been easy to compose a top 5 list of gadgets but we thought we would have a little fun and split it between the girls and the boys – let’s see who has the most exposure to radiation 🙂

Toys for boys(no Maxim models included I’m afraid)

Macbook Pro

We know we know, it’s ever so predictable and here at Lecture Room HQ we often debate about whether PC or Mac reigns supreme. Deep down we all know that buying this particular Macbook gives one all the benefits of having a top end laptop with the perfect fusion of technology and aesthetic appeal. Let us not forget the 12 – 14% student discount that Apple offer on all their products. Buying in September is ideal because they usually have deals on the Microsoft Student Office for Mac and sometimes they are nice enough to a throw in a printer in too! You can tell we’re totally sold here.

External hard drive

Take your pick between Seagate and Western Digital. You might even be an Iomega loyalist. Whatever your leaning, an external hard drive is the second most popular item among the boys. Ideal for storing what often feels like a ridiculous amount of music, films and TV shows to cope with those endless hours of idleness after your assignments have been completed – we hasten to add ;-). Not to show bias but Amazon tends to have the best price offerings, so do check them out first before you hit up the nearest Maplin or PC World.

Smartphone

This was also a tie between boys and girls – mostly because many already own smartphones. There is always the age old debate about whether Blackberries, Androids or iPhones are the best. Regardless of which camp you belong to or want to belong to, smartphones have become more a necessity than an accessory. Very useful for keeping up with campus news, friends and family as well as business for those freelancers and part time entrepreneurs. These nifty little gadgets are a definite lifeline. Newbies to the smartphone arena might want to check out the upcoming release of the HP Palm Pre 3 – rumour has it that it’s going to be on sale for £50!! A definite bargain and a quick way to earn some kudos – its predecessors were much raved about in geeky circles and it’s supposedly built to accommodate the needs of generation-i – social networking mainly 🙂

The George Foreman grill

We [well mrmorris86 mainly – proud carnivore] consider this to be THE ultimate in portable cooking appliances. It cooks meat, it’s easy to use and easy

to clean. *INFOMERCIAL ALERT* – Mr Foreman’s grill makes entertaining your boys whilst watching the footie and making your mark in the palette memories of that all important lady friend 😉 all too easy. Endorsed by boxing royalty, this has to be the manliest of kitchen appliances.

Gadgets for the girls

Macbook Air

Not to say that ladies don’t feel the need to have a Macbook Pro, it’s just we have found more girls buy the standard Macbook in comparison to the boys. This laptop occupies the very highest order of geek chic. The new flagship Macbook is lightweight and has practically all the same features as the original white Mac notebook did, just in a thinner frame. Very befitting for a girl on the go.

Blowdryer

It’s an absolute necessity. I have not specified a brand here because we appreciate everyone has their preferences and is familiar with what works for her particular hair type. One thing I will say is be careful, for those of you who love your salon fresh hair, of high wattage dryers. The higher the wattage, the greater the damage, if used frequently. Try and go for ionic blow dryers if possible and use with either heat protector or leave in conditioner they will stand you in good stead in the long run ladies.

Canon EOS SLR 600D camera

I appreciate this item is quite a unisex item but I am finding there are an increasing number of female university students who are also budding creatives in the world of blogging, fashion and photography who have made this their camera of choice. With 12 megapixel capability, scene intelligent auto mode and wireless flash control thus eliminating the need for extra accessories, it is no wonder that Canon was voted as best photography brand by Which?.

Speakers

The most popular speakers, according to our survey, are Logitech’s X-530 speakers. Ironically, every university student dorm we have walked into seems to own this set of speakers which is no coincidence. They offer 5.1 surround sound which works wonders when watching movies or creating a party atmosphere. Not too loud now guys.